Improvement in corpse-preserving cases



UNITED STATES i FFICE.

PATENT l JOHN GRAVENSTINE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORPSE-PRESERVING CASES.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN GRAvENsTINE, of Philadelphia, county ofPhiladelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain ImprovementsinCorpse-Preserving Cases and Refrigerators, of which the following is aspeciiication:

My invention relates to certain improvements in corpse-preserving cases,in which a low temv perature is preserved by means of a freezing-mixtureemployed in connection with certain casings and chambers in a manner,which forms the subject of a separate application for Letters Patent fora refrigerator; and my invention consistsrst, in an arran gem ent, fullydescribed hereafter', whereby the ice-chamber and casings may beefficiently applied to and employed with the case so as to be readilydetached therefrom when required 5 and, secondly, in the combination,with the case and lid, of apacked strip adapted to both the casing andlid, so that the latter can be elevated without creating any joint forthe passage of air or gas.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a corpsepreserving case with myimprovement; Fig. 2, a transverse section on the line 1 2, Fig. l; Fig.3, a plan view 5 Fig. 4, a perspective view of part of the case; andFigs. 5, 6, 7, and 8, detached views drawn to an enlarged scale.

The main features of my invention are applicable to refrigerators, butare represented in the present instance as applied to acorpse-preserving case, as I will now proceed to describe.

A represents the body of the case made double throughout, the inner andouter shells being lined with paper or other non-conducting material, c,as shown in Fig. 6, and being secured together at intervals by, stripsb. At the top of the body of' the case is formed a shoulder, c, on Whichrests an elastic packing, and above this shoulder extends an outeriiange, c', the lid B of the case resting upon this shoulder and beingheld in position by the ilange. At or about the center of the lid isformed a large anged opening, w, Fig. 3, from which extends upward adetachable casing, D, which rests on an elastic packing, and is open atboth top and bottom. In the casing is a ledge, shoulder, or projection,y, Fig. 6, on which bears a flange at the top of a detachable casin g,F, of'non-conducting material, which is suspended Within the casing D,and extends downward through and below the latter and into the case, asbest observed in Figs. 1 and 2. A detachable air-tight ice-box, G,having no outlet, is suspended within the casing F, and is supported inthe same manner as the latter by a iiange, e, at its upper end, and thewhole is surmounted by a close-iittin g lid or cap, H, which rests uponthe flanged top ofmthe ice-box and upon the upper edge of the outercasing D. In the casing F, close to the top of the same, is a number ofslits or openings, h, which afford a free communication for currents ofair between chambers or passages k and It formed between atelysurrounding the ice-box will become quick-4 ly cooled and descend intothe case, while the Warm air from the latter cannot pass into thecontracted mouth of' the inner chamber, but will `rise to the top of thecase and will be directed into the chamber k and pass thence through theopenings It of the casing F into the chamber 7a', to be in turn cooledby contact with the surface of the ice-box, from which it will descendinto the case. In this way a constant current in the direction of thearrows, Figs. 1 and 2, is maintained, the cool air descending into thecase and the hot air rising from the same until the temperature isreduced to an exceedingly low point.

The ice-box is constructed, as before stated, with tight bottom andsides, so that it will retain the water resulting from the melting ofthe combined ice and salt, as I have ascertained that, by retaining thiswater instead of permitting it to drip oif, as usual, the temperaturecan be reduced to and maintained at a much lower point than hasheretofore been deemed possible.

The special advantage of employing a close ice-box with acorpse-preserver is that the box can be quickly removed and replacedwith another filled with ice when the ice in the first is melted, whichcould not be done if' the boX were provided with the usual draw-off pipeextending through the side of the casing. It is desirable that theice-box should extend low down into the case, so as to be almost incontact with the corpse; but Where the latter is of large size thelid-oi` the case, and With it the ice-box, may be raised so as toincrease the capacity of the case, by introducing between the latter andthe lid, and upon the shoulder c, a plate or extensionpiece, J, (seeFigs. 4 and 8,) to the upper side of Which is secured a packing.Inasmuch as the casings D and F and the ice-box are all detachable fromthe case and from each other, they can be removed from thel lid andstored in the case for convenience in transportation, While the lid H ofthe casing D can be applied directly as a cover for the opening x. Theremoval of these parts is also important, especially when the casing isfilled with ice, when the case has to be carried through narrow halls orup and down narrow stair-Ways. By the use of the plate J andintermediate packings the lid B and its appurtenances can be elevatedWithout creating the slightest joint for the passage of air or gases.

I do not claim in this application the arrangement of the closedice-box, casings F and D, and intermediate chambers, as they form thesubject of another application for Letters Patent for a refrigerator;the object of my present invention being mainly to render this mode ofpreserving a loW temperature practically available in connection With acorpse-preserving case.

I claim- 1. The combination7 With the detachable lid B having an openingof a detachable casing, D, detachable closed ice-box, perforated casingor partition F, and the cover H adapted to both the casing D and theopening w, as set forth.

2. The combination of the above, the case A With its shoulder c andgasket, and the plate J having a packing at its upper side, and con-Vstructed as specied.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN GBAVENSTINE.

Witnesses:

WM. A. STEEL, FRANK B. RICHARDS.

